If I'd known I'd live this long...

If I'd known I'd live this long
I'd've taken better care of myself

A sixties hippie pushing fifty
My brain's not at it's best
Acid burned out half the cells
Dope gunked up the rest
Alcohol took it's toll
And what the mushrooms did God knows
I remember what I did back when I was ten
But not ten seconds ago

If I'd known I'd live this long
I'd have taken better care of myself
Not abused the fatty foods
Knocked off the smokes as well
Done a little exercise
Put a few bucks aside
If I'd known I'd live this long
I'd have taken better care of myself

Teenagers look right through me
As if I wasn't there
I stand up, I'm still bent over
In the shape of the chair
I ignore mirrors
'cos my dad looks back in fright
I can't grow hair where I want it
And where I don't, it grows inches overnight

If I'd known I'd live this long
I'd have taken better care of myself
Not had so much greasy stuff
And the lunatic soup as well
Been kinder to my mind
And mindful of my kind
If I'd known I'd live this long
I'd have taken better care of myself

"I hope I die before I get old"
Was my claim to fame
Shot down in flames of gory glory
Like Lenny, Jimi and James
Now I'm practicing golf swings
While my body falls apart
And from my thinnest hair
To my tinniest toe
I only hope I die before I rot

If I'd known I'd live this long
I'd have taken better care of myself

A sixties hippie pushing sixty
Burned my candle at both ends
If I's a car they'd've wrecked me
If I's a house I'd be condemned
"I'm not well!" I yell
They say "shut up, there's those worse off man"
But what if there's not, what if I'm to be
The one there was no-one ever worse off than?

Pour me a drink

Poor me, poor me, pour me a drink
My mind's out to get me
I don't want to think
I know one is too many
And a thousand's too few
Pour me a drink or two

I've been down to rock bottom
Crawled back up again
Been clean and sober five years
We rebuilt our home
But now she's gone
All that is left is a house full of tears
So pour me, pour me, pour me a drink
Pour me a drink or two

They say these things they come to pass
They never come to stay
These blues are going nowhere fast
No matter how hard I pray

I always loved booze
It never loved me
Turned me on and then turned on me
Down on my knees
I finally got free
But when she died
Something died inside me

Poor me poor me
Pour me a drink
I'm out on the edge here
Out on the ledge here
I'm out at the brink
Don't say one is too many
I know that is true
Pour me a drink please do

I know what I wanna
But I know what I oughta
Make it soda water

Byron Bay

I was born on another planet
Dropped here without the rules
That's how I came in
That's how i'll go out
Thirsty, broke and nude
Nobody taught me how to sing the blues
Must've known from another life
My first memory is gazing out to sea
Wondering if this is really where I want to be?

Byron Bay - where time moves slow
And green things grow
And other things work out ok
Byron Bay -where the skies are blue
Where the friends are true
And the sun shines everyday
'cept when it hides away

My old man worked raising cattle
Mama worked raising us
I worked hard at raising hell
With an eye on the city bus
Walked out when I was fifteen
I stuck out my thumb
Made it to the big smoke
High life and high hopes
Finally got free from that one horse dump

Byron Bay - where time moves slow
They all say hello
And doze off in the shade
Byron Bay - sweet FA To do
And the skies are blue
And the sun shines everyday
Except when it hides away

I lost my self in the city
Never really got a start
I worked hard to get a break
Only got a broken heart
Locked up when I was eighteen
Burned out at twenty one
Lost faith, lost hope, I lost everything
Crawled back home, I was welcome as a king

Byron Bay - where time moves slow
And the green things grow
And things work out ok
Byron Bay - sweet FA to prove
And the skies are blue
And the sun shines every day

Byron Bay = place where I was born
And they love my songs
Well at least they say they do
Byron Bay - had to go away
To appreciate
That sun shines everyday
Except when it hides away

A you shaped space

Right from the moment
I first laid eyes on you
I felt you were someone
I already knew
As if we'd been together
In some other life
And I'd been waiting
For you to arrive

You're the one i've always loved
Anything for you
No matter how close we are
Or how far apart
There's a you shaped space
Deep inside my heart

We fit together
Like a hand in a glove
I looked in your eyes
This is what they call love
To know that you feel the same
Still takes me by surprise
Sometimes wonder if you realize

You're the one i'll always love
Anything for you
No matter where we go
How or far apart
There's a you shaped space
Deep inside my heart

You're the one i'll always love
Anything for you
No matter what we do
How or far apart
There's a you shaped space
Deep inside my heart

Cut a long story short

There's only air between us
The lovelight's gone from your eyes
I hear your words
See your lips move
All I hear are alibis
And I know that you're not lying
You're only trying to explain
But the more you say
The less I understand

Cut a long story short
Spit it out don't delay
Throw your cards on the table
Let them fall where they lay
Don't try to let me down easy
There's no easy way
Cut a long story short
And we can be on our way

It's only fair summation
The how, the where and the wise
No need for long explanations
It's all there in your eyes
You trying to spare my feelings
Just makes it too hard
Do it clean, do it fast
Deliver the coup de grace

Cut a long story short
Say how you feel
The sooner it's out there
The sooner we'll heal
Cut a long story short
Just cut to the part
Where you say you don't love me
I've fallen out of your heart

If I thought this love could work
I'd join you in your spiel
But all the words in all the world
Can't change how you don't feel

Let's have a prayer between us
Wish each other well
No more of this
Let's kiss and say farewell

I need you (to get over you)

It's over I know, I respect your decision
I realise you need some space
To find yourself again
And that's exactly what I plan to do myself
As soon as I can get up out of bed
Meanwhile is it possible
To see me one more time?
Cos I'm going out of my head

I need you to help me get over losing you
No one ever cared about me like you do
You know me back to front
You know me through and through
I need you to help me get over you

It's over I know, I understand some coldness
But I apologised for my white lies
And that thing with your best friend
But I'm not asking you to come back forever
Just until I can get myself back together
It's not co-dependency
To see me one more time
Specially when I am feeling so sad

I need you to help me get over losing you
No one ever loved me quite the way that you do
You know me back to front
You know me through and through
I need you to help me get over you

When you left I thought
"yippee! I'm free to do what I please"
A million and one 'one and only's'
Plenty other fish in the sea
But as my heart dies I now realise
You're my one and only
And the only fish for me

I need you to help me get over losing you
No one ever cared about me like you do
You know me back to front
You know me through and through
I need you to help me get over you

Refugee spark

It started with a spark
Of hope deep in the dark
That fragile glow became a fire
To melt my frozen heart

You shook a shaking hand
You took a broken man
Didn't want to know
Where I had been or what I had done
You just took my hand

For the very first time
I felt not so alone
That maybe there just may be
A way for me to go

It started as a spark
A candle in the dark
Is now a fire of pure desire
That burns within my heart

You shook a shaking hand
Said I understand
Don't have to do it on your own
You're welcome here my friend
You just took my hand

I stand before you naked
No walls no mask no plan
Don't have to play chameleon
You take me as I am

You take me as I am;
Kind and cruel
Sage or fool
You take me as I am

When you don't know your arse

When you don't know your arse
From a hole in the ground
All your good friends can't be found
And you try to pull together
But you're falling all apart
Trying to function with a broken heart
You're not down alone
I know how long the night becomes
Pick up the telephone
Stumbling blocks can become stepping stones

They got you by the short and curlies
And they're cramping up your style
You can't even raise a smile
Lost your kit and your caboodle
Lost your spark lost your thread
You're in way over your head
You aint down alone
Sometimes the pain it gets so strong
One more horizon
Shadows fall behind when you face the sun

When you don't know your arse
From a hole in the wall
Nothing makes no sense at all
And the road goes ever upward
And your load is weighing down
Can't find a reason to carry on
I know just how you feel;
Out of time, out of tune
And nothing's real
While you're down on your knees
Ask for some serendipity
Please Stay

It's hard to tell you how I feel
With all this mad jazz locked up tight
Down deep inside of me
Such a private soul
Always in control
Never let nobody see
So don't listen to the things I say
You see through this masquerade
Don't let me drive you away

Please stay

My heart is sure that you're for me
But in matters of the heart
I am my own worst enemy
Never drop my guard
I will make it hard
For anyone to get too close to me
Pay no attention to this charade
Hear the words I just can't say
Don't let me drive you away
Please stay

These scheming demons that lie between my ears
Get very restless when you're near
And when you hold me, kiss away my fear
They fade, they almost disappear

Pay no mind to this charade
Hear the words I just can't say
Don't let me drive you away
Please stay

Road to your heart

Please help me Lord, I need assistance
Grant me strength to go the distance
Keep me on the road to your heart
Free me from futile distractions
Self-will, fear, over-reactions
Keep me on the road to your heart

Looking for some truth to hold on to
In a world whirling way out of control
I'm strong and keen but need your guidance too
Looking for some truth to hold on to

Things get more crazy by the hour
With madmen at the wheel of power
Keep me on the road to your heart
To be a part of your solution
Not tangled up in self-delusion
Hold me always close to your heart

Looking for some peace to hold on to
This cycle of revenge engulfs us all
May mercy and forgiveness be well used
Looking for some peace to hold on to

Bright quicksilver phantoms
Tempting and obscure
Promise all then disappear
I need foundations
Strong and sure

Looking for some truth to hold on to
Ina world whirling right out of control
May mercy and forgiveness be well used
Looking for some peace to hold on to

Lord help me to accept what I can't change
Bravery to change the things I can
Wisdom to know the difference between the two
Looking for some truth to hold on to
Looking for some love to hold on to

We'll never have this time again

There's only one of all of us
Unique in all this world
What we do may not mean much
To anyone but us
But it means so much we do it

What is the worst case scenario?
Ask her out, she says "no"
I look like a fool and end up alone
Or don't ask her out and kick myself
And end up alone anyway

We'll never have this time again
Just trust and make a start
Say what is in my heart
Now is all we are
We'll never have this time again
Push truth down deep inside
It won't be denied
At 3am it's back bringing friends

"yes but.." and "if only" are wasted words
Gone to God knows where
The bridges we cross before we get to them
Are over rivers no longer there

What is the dream you've longed to do?
Something bold, something new
May take years before you're through
You say "why bother, i'll be old by then"
How old will you be if you don't?

We'll never have this time again
Just trust and make a start
Do what is in your heart
Now is all we hold
We'll never have this time again
Today's the tomorrow we faced yesterday
And it is more precious than gold

Come ye disconsolate

Come ye disconsolate
Where'er ye languish
Come to the mercy seat
Fervently kneel
Here bring your wounded heart
Here tell your anguish
Earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot heal

Joy for the desolate
Light for the straying
Hope when all others die
Constant and pure
Here speaks the comforter
Tenderly saying
Earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot cure

Go ask the infidel
What seeds he's sowing
What charm for aching hearts
Can he reveal
Come to the light of life
Come ever knowing
Earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot heal

© All tracks written by Andy Anderson
except "Come Ye Disconsolate" (Trad. Arr. by Anderson / Backhouse)